GARAGE SALE TALES

Today was the second day of the garage sale Ron put together in Waikiki.  Time to reflect on some of the happenings...

The day started out well enough.  Two gentlemen from China wandered into the car park in search of last minute gifts.  This was their 6th trip to Hawaii in last six months.  One of the chaps is the owner of 7 factories, he sells things to Walmart and Kmart.  Fancy that..

The owner of the factories was a shy sort of fellow, his travelling companion / interrupter, did all of his talking.  And he had quite a lot to say.  With a mixture of British and American slang, he told of having studied at university in Pittsburgh.  Seems his boss had an eye for some necklaces and they wanted to haggle over price.  Ron, The Diva, is the last person you want to haggle over price with.  After some back and forth, a price was agreed upon and then Ron had to explain that the necklaces, while quite lovely, had in fact been made in CHINA.  The two seemed pleased regardless and went happily away to catch their flight back to China.  No doubt to tell the tale of the great treasures found in Waikiki.

The next colourful customer, were in fact a returning trio from day before.  They had purchased some tattoo transfers and had such a giggle over breakfast, they needed to get more.  Nothing like happy shoppers.

A young lady showed up with loads of colourful stickers upon her face.  Very colourful.  She tried on a very brilliant jacket, would have matched all of the colour on her face.  MOI told her it looked rather smart, and was gobsmacked when the lady told that she thought it was a wee bit loud.  Not being able to hold tongue, the old geezer asked if she has looked in the mirror before venturing forth that day.  Really, one wonders...

Then there was the lovely gentle man, 86 years young with his lovely wife, 93 years young.  The spied a picture and asked the price.  Having shopped with Ron before, he graced them with the picture, free of charge.  The lovely chap told Ron that he just wanted the picture for the frame....

Roy had to attend to some personal matters and the old geezer was drafted into watching his share of the items for sale.  Seems easy enough.  NOT...

Shortly after Roy departed and old lady and her filipina helper arrived.  They had been at the sale yesterday and knew they liked to spend loads of time checking out all of the sale items.  The old lady looks like the last living survivor of the Titanic, frail but feisty, while he companion like to seek out all of the bargains she can.  Trying to help the old lady proved a total waste of time.  Might as well told MOI to bugger off..

With one had clutching her walker, she bent over the table with costume jewelry and went to work fingering every bead, chain and ear.  She did not want any help.  Neither did.  The hours ticked by and it became clear that they were waiting the return of Roy.  He would give them deals...

They were not the only ones, seems Roy and Ron have customers who will only deal with them.  Tell you right off that they know them well...  Fancy that.

The day slowly wound down, little by little the tables emptied of sale items.

Ron has a custom of holding a closing 'brown bag' sale.  Everything you can fit into a small brown bag is had for a 'fiver'.  Throughout the day folks told that they would be back a 4pm for the sale.  Cheeky buggers.

All in all, not a bad way to spend an interesting day in Waikiki.  Where else can you meet folks from China, Russia, all parts of the USA and a few from Europe...

WAIKIKI GARAGE SALE - DIVA STYLE

This weekend,Saturday and Sunday,  Ron, AKA "The Diva", will be holding another of his fab garage sales.  Mind, 'garage sale' is a wee bit mis-leading, as Ron places tables round the car park and loads them to breaking point with all sort of treasures collected since he last did a sale.

Having an apartment complex in Waikiki is the perfect way to gather many items for sale.  Folks move to Hawaii, thinking that life will be more perfect than when they came from, tire of all of the sun and living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and give up their collections to Ron, rather than pack up to ship back to the mainland.  Truth be told, it can be rather dear to ship home things.

Ron is a fixture in Waikiki, and all during the week folks drop by and leave things they no longer want or need.  There also are people who 'find' treasures and leave with Ron.  One is constantly gobsmacked at the amount of things that pile up, waiting for another sale.

Some twenty years ago, if not longer, MOI had set up a flat down the road from Ron. Not having any furniture, the old geezer made a beeline to Ron's, and in short order had a complete one bedroom fitted out quite nicely.  So good were the furnishings that when MOI made another of his moves back to the mainland, the items purchased from Ron some years back, brought a small profit...

There are 'garage sales' and there are "Garage Sales".  Never fails that as the date nears for the sale, the car park fills up with a most interesting collection.  There are 'rare' pictures, tellies, cameras, computer parts, furniture, records, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, clothing and linen.  You might well find the kitchen sink there as well.

As usual, Ron will be joined at his sales by a good mate.  Roy has a shop in Chinatown, sells art and the like, makes jewelry and been known to paint a lovely picture or two.  Roy has been round Waikiki almost as long as Ron and between the two, there will be in-fighting, to see who runs up the most sales.  There will be other local colourful characters at the sale, meaning that chins will wag all the day long.

Truth be told, MOI is of the opinion that Ron gets more out of the meeting folks from all over the world, then he does from the money generated from the sale.  Ron has been known to meet a new resident to Hawaii, like them and gift them with all sort of things to furnish their flats.  Not rubbish but rather useful items.  There might be a chair, rattan of course, with lovely cushions, just perfect for the person to love being in Hawaii.  Or there might be a set of curtains.  Dishes and glasses and all sort of items for the kitchen.

Being that MOI is here before the sale starts, he got to look over some of the items.  MOI loves to travel light, and clothing was sorely needed.  To my delight,  several pairs of shorts (Tommy Bahama) revealed self.  There were shirts as well,  Ralph Lauren, Harley Davidson, Greg Norman, to name but a few.  Not worn out items of clothing but items ever so slightly used and in some cases not even used.  For less than a 'fiver' me wardrobe has increased big time.  Having gone through the shops in Waikiki, know full well that some of the items are $40.00 plus retail. Am over the moon at all of the cash saved.

The sale will last all day long, rain or shine.  If past is any clue, come late Sunday, the tables will be quite empty.

Am quite looking forward to the crowds that will gather to lock up real bargains.  Curious I am to see if all goes...